Setting device for adjusting by means of levers the infraelectrodic distances in an amalgam cell having a mercury cathode and graphite anodes

ABSTRACT

This application relates to a device for adjusting the infraelectrodic distances in an electrolytic amalgam cell having a mercury cathode and graphite anodes and consisting of a cell tank with electrically insulated side supports for supporting an anode-carrying frame, the device consisting of a threaded bushing threadedly coupled to an adjusting shaft drivable in a conventional manner, said adjusting shaft turning idly within at least one other supporting bushing rigidly connected to the anode-carrying frame, and being axially constrained with respect to the supporting bushing, said frame being provided with two lateral rests each one having a hinge restraining at an intermediate point a lever constrained at its two ends, by hinges permitting rotations and limited horizontal displacements, to said supports arranged on the sides of the cell tank, and to said threaded bushing. Preferably there are at least two such devices.

United States Patent Inventors Giuseppe Real Mantova; Renato Fava, Mantova; Giordano Clmarosti, Roverbella; Sandro Vergari,

SETTING DEVICE FOR ADJUSTING BY MEANS OF LEVERS THE INFRAELECTRODIC DISTANCES IN AN AMALGAM CELL HAVING A MERCURY CATHODE AND GRAPHITE ANODES Primary Examiner-John H, Mack Assistant Examiner-Sidney S. Kanter Attorney-Stevens, Davis, Miller & Mosher ABSTRACT: This application relates to a device for adjusting the infraelectrodic distances in an electrolytic amalgam cell having a mercury cathode and graphite anodes and consisting of a cell tank with electrically insulated side supports for supporting an anode-carrying frame, the device consisting of a threaded bushing threadedly coupled to an adjusting shaft drivable in a conventional manner, said adjusting shaft turning idly within at least one other supporting bushing rigidly connected to the anode-carrying frame, and being axially constrained with respect to the supporting bushing, said frame being provided with two lateral rests each one having a hinge restraining at an intermediate point a lever constrained at its two ends, by hinges permitting rotations and limited horizontal displacements, to said supports arranged on the sides of the cell tank, and to said threaded bushing. Preferably there are at least two such devices.

t I I PAIENTEDHBT 28 ml 3.616.448

SHEET IUF 2 FIG.1

' INVENTORS GIUSEPPE ROSSI,

RENATO FAVA, GIORDANO CIMAROSTI, BY SANDRO VERGARI ATTORNEYS FIG. 2

PATENTEBnm 26 I97! 3,515,44

sum 2 OF 2 INVENTORS 1*- l GIUSEPPE Rossl, O m RENATO FAVA, GIORDANO CIMAROSTl,

SANDRO VERGARI BY mfl mm ATTORNEYS SETTING DEVICE FOR ADJUSTING BY MEANS OF LEVERS THE INFRAELECI'RODIC DISTANCES IN AN AMALGAM CELL HAVING A MERCURY CATIIODE AND GRAPHITE ANODES The present invention relates to a device for adjusting the distances between the electrodes of an electrolytic amalgam cell having a mercury cathode and graphite anodes.

As is already known, in these electrolytic amalgam cells the infraelectrodic distances, all other conditions remaining the same, tend to increase in the course of time owing to the wear of the graphite anodes during operation. It is, thus, necessary periodically to adjust these distances in order to maintain the values of current and power consumption at optimal levels.

Usually the frame which supports the graphite electrodes rests on the cell tank by means of a series of electrically insulated supports arranged on the sides of the cell tank.

According to the known prior art, the adjusting of the infraelectrode distances is effected by acting on suitable threaded devices which establish the connection between the frame-carrying supports and the cell tank body.

This method of adjustment presents considerable drawbacks, both in the case of adjustments carried out manually as well as when manually remote-controlled electric motor reducers or automatic adjusting systems are employed.

These drawbacks consist mainly in the excessive number of operations to be carried out which involves a waste of time, and in the complexity of the transmission mechanisms for transmitting the motion from the motor reducers or from the automatic adjusting motors to the threaded adjustment devices.

Thus, an object of this invention is that of providing a device which, while being of simple construction, shall insure a high operational efficiency, with the obvious practical and economical advantages that will result from it.

A further object of this invention is that of providing a device which shall enable the displacement of the anode-carrying frame of the amalgam cell by means of a reduced number of adjusting and control devices.

Still another object of this invention is that of providing a device which carries out the adjustment by means of vertical traverse motions of the transversal elements of the anode-carrying frame, thereby insuring the correct positioning of the anodes in the direction across the cell tank and thus avoiding irregularities in the working of the cell-and avoiding a differential wear of the anodes.

All these and still other objects are conveniently attained by means of an adjusting device for the electrodic distances in electrolytic cells having a mercury cathode and graphite anodes, these cells consisting of a cell tank with electrically insulated side supports supporting an anode-carrying frame, which adjusting device consists, according to this invention, of a threaded bushing threadedly connected to an adjusting shaft which is operated through a system selected from devices using manually remote-controlled electric motor-reducers, automatic devices and manually operated devices, said setting shaft running idle inside another slide bushing rigidly associated to the anode-carrying frame and axially constrained with respect to the guide-bushing. The electrode-carrying frame has two lateral rests, each one provided with a liinge which, at an intermediate point, restrains a lever which at its ends is interlocked, through constraints arranged for allowing rotations and limited horizontal displacements, with said corresponding supports placed laterally of the cell tank and with said threaded bushing. For these adjustments (which consist in vertical traverse motions of the transversal elements of the anode-carrying frame of the cell) there are preferably employed at least two of said devices which will effect the regulation by means of the rotation of the small shafts of each device.

The invention will now be illustrated in greater detail with reference to the attached drawings-given for merely illustrative and not limiting purposes--on which the same parts (or equivalent parts) of the device are marked in all figures in which they appear by the same reference numerals, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a transversal cross section of an amalgam cell, which includes a front view of the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a detail of the lever assembly;

FIG. 3 shows a detail of the electrically insulated supports supporting the anode-carrying frame; and a a FIG. 4 shows a detail of the adjusting shaft and the bushings associated with it.

With reference to FIG. I, the adjusting device consists of a threaded bushing I threadedly coupled to a regulating shaft 2, which latter idles freely in the supporting bushing 3 which is rigidly connected to the anode-carrying frame 4 of an amalgam cell whose tank body is shown at 5. i

The adjusting shaft 2 may be made to rotate by means of motor reducer 6 remote controlled by hand.

The anode-carrying frame 4 on its sides carries rests 7, 7', each one having coupling hinges 8, 8 on which are hinged levers 9, 9'. a j

These levers 9, 9' support the anode-carrying frame 4, being coupled not only to hinges 8, 8 but also at their ends to pivots l0, 10. The latter in turn are rigidly fixed to supports ll, 11' supporting anode-carrying frame 4, while the other end of each lever is hinged to pivot 12 rigidly coupled to the threaded bushing l.

The supports 11, 11' are in turn fixe'd'to the cell tank by means of screws l3, 13'.

In FIG. 2 is illustrated the connections of the levers 9, 9 with threaded bushing l and with supports 11, ll. These connections are realized by fork-shaped ends I4, 14 and 15, 15' on the levers 9, 9' to which pivots l0, l0 and I2 are associated. The corresponding attachments allow limited horizontal displacements of levers 9, 9' in the way described below.

FIG. 3 shows in detail an electrically insulated support ll, connected to the cell tank body 5 by means of screw 13. This screw 13 (and the corresponding screw 13') allow horizontal adjustments of the anode-carrying frame 4 and also adjustments of its distance from cell tank 5 in addition to the adjustments possible by means of the device which is the object of this invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates the manner in which the adjusting shaft 2 is connected to the anode-carrying frame 4 for acting on the levers 9, 9'.

The adjusting shaft 2 turns idly within bushing 3, which latter is fixedly associated with frame 4, the bushing 3 itself consisting of two rings 16 and 17 (the former being made of a suitable antifriction metal) and a thrust bearing 18 which may be a conventional ball bearing. Ring I9 is rigidly fixed to the adjusting shaft 2 and hinders axial displacements with respect to the bushing 3 and thus with respect to theframe 4.

Adjusting shaft 2 is, furthermore, threadedly coupled to bushing l, which, as explained above, carries a pivot 12 on which rest the inner ends of the two levers 9, 9'. a

The adjustments of the infraelectrode distances will be effected by putting into rotary motion the adjusting shaft 2. By so doing bushing 1 will be displaced upwardly or downwardly,

depending on the direction of rotation of the shaft 2, while,

levers 9, 9' will in consequence increase or reduce their angle of spread with raising or lowering of the frame 4 which is linked to them through hinges 8 and 8. Since the movements of levers 9 and 9, with respect to frame 4, consist of rotations around these hinges 8 and 8', it will be evident that the dis placements of the ends of levers 9 and 9' will have horizontal components. Therefore, the restraints or attachments of said ends of levers 9 and 9 must be made in such a way as to allow such movements; for example, they may have an eyeletlike construction as shown in FIG. 1.

In a series of amalgam cells aligned in an axial and/or transversal direction, the axes of the adjusting .shafts 2 will be preferably arranged on longitudinal planes of symmetry and/or on transversal planes.

What is claimed is: I

l. A device for adjusting the infraelectrodic distances in an electrolytic amalgam cell having a mercury cathode and graphite anodes and consisting of a cell tank with electrically insulated side supports for supporting an anode-carrying frame, said device consisting of a threaded bushing threadedly coupled to a rotatable adjusting shaft, said adjusting shaft turning idly within at least one other supporting bushing rigidly connected to the anode-carrying frame, and being axially constrained with respect to the supporting bushing, said frame being provided with two lateral rests each one being pivotally connected at an intermediate point to a lever constrained at its two ends, by hinges permitting rotations and limited horizontal displacements, to said supports arranged on the sides of the cell tank. and to said threaded bushing.

2. An adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment is effected by rotations of said adjusting shaft, the consequent raising or lowering of the said anode-carrying frame with respect to the cell tank corresponding respectively to the two directions of rotation of said shaft.

3. An adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein said adjustment consists in vertical traversings of the transversal sections of the anode-carrying frame.

4. An adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the ends of said levers are coupled to pivots fixed to said threaded bushing and to the said electrically insulated lateral supports, the parts in direct contact with said pivots having an eyeletlike shape arranged to allow rotations and limited horizontal displacements of the ends of said levers.

5. An adjusting device according to claim I, wherein in a series of amalgam cells aligned in axial direction. the axes of said adjusting shafts are arranged on the longitudinal plane of symmetry.

6. An adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein in a series of amalgam cells aligned in a transversal direction, the axes of said adjusting shafts are arranged on transversal planes.

I i i i i 

2. An adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment is effected by rotations of said adjusting shaft, the consequent raising or lowering of the said anode-carrying frame with respect to the cell tank corresponding respectively to the two directions of rotation of said shaft.
 3. An adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein said adjustment consists in vertical traversings of the transversal sections of the anode-carrying frame.
 4. An adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the ends of said levers are coupled to pivots fixed to said threaded bushing and to the said electrically insulated lateral supports, the parts in direct contact with said pivots having an eyeletlike shape arranged to allow rotations and limited horizontal displacements of the ends of said levers.
 5. An adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein in a series of amalgam cells aligned in axial direction, the axes of said adjusting shafts are arranged on the longitudinal plane of symmetry.
 6. An adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein in a series of amalgam cells aligned in a transversal direction, the axes of said adjusting shafts are arranged on transversal planes. 